Robotic sex, Alysia’s new film “Egg”, becoming and being “Fig” on Orange Is the New Black”, inhabiting a role and finding the comedy, returning to the same character with each new season, why producing roles is so important, and a tootsie roll you can drink? Plus an improv game makes new movies out of old one with “Recycled Movie Pitch”!

Actress/Producer Alysia Reiner (@alysiareiner) guests with hosts Marc Raco (@racomarc), Danielle Beckmann (@deebeck) and producer Elsie (@elsietheproducer) in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser. Recorded in front of a live audience.

Alysia is best known as “Fig”” on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for which she won a SAG award. Her dark-comedic feature about motherhood, EGG, premiered at Tribeca film festival 2018, and was released in January 2019. Reiner stars with Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp, and serves as a producer. She is passionately committed to protecting the environment (see livariclothing.com) and being a change maker for women.

In this episode:

Danielle shares some nerd tips for anyone looking for an agreeable (robotic) date

The case at CES this past year where a robotic sex toy had its award for innovation revoked for being “immoral,” and the gender biases in that industry

Alysia’s new film, “Egg”

The film’s 70% female cast and crew

The approach they took to produce the film much like a play, following the script closely and shooting in a manner that allowed for longer takes

The challenges as an actor and producer to prepare for shooting a film in this way

A round of “Recycled Movie Pitch,” where we combine two movies that are in no way connected, and have to pitch that hypothetical film

Alysia’s experience playing Fig on Orange Is the New Black, and navigating her character’s dramatic arc over the course of the show

How Alysia’s personality and work ethic on set may have influenced her character’s arc from a stereotypically mean character to one with more depth

Alysia’s belief that most people truly believe that they are doing their best and are trying to be a source of good, even if they may seem bad to others, and how that influenced her portrayal of Fig

Staying true to a character’s role in the story or the specific scene, rather than trying to be funny or to steal scenes to show off your ability

Alysia’s respect for comedians and comedy and why she’s still intimidated working with comedians she’s worked with for years

The challenges of returning to a character like Fig each season after months of working on other projects and other characters

How the makeup and costume design for Fig help her get in character, and which pieces Alysia would take home if she could

Why Alysia takes pride in being called a character actor

How Alysia’s notoriety has turned her daughter off from acting

Why producing roles are so important to Alysia as a way of supporting more women working in the industry